Boutique industry makes Munni Begum self-reliant

Many of the rural women are becoming active towards attaining their social dignity after being engaged in various income-generation activities independently instead of relying on the government and non-government jobs.

Marefa Akter Jahan Munni Begum, an inhabitant of Sagarpara village under Godagari Upqazila of the district, one of the successful self-reliant women.

Her four-member family comprising husband Motiur Rahman Khokon, a college teacher, and a son and a daughter is now happy.

Around 7-8 years back Munni Begum, who obtained honours degree in economics from Rangpur Carmichael College, had started her boutique industry works on amateur. She named her business “Libous Boutique House”.

By dint of quality works, her fame expanded widely within a short time. Now the Libous Boutique House has become a big business institution. In first, she borrowed loans of Taka 20,000 from Godagari Branch of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) and also Taka 50,000 from Islami Bank.

In the preliminary stage, Munni Begum used to supply three-piece, sari, orna, bed sheet, punjabi and cushion cover to the local shops after making those manually. Subsequently, her products captured the place in Rajshahi markets.

In this way, she is now supplying her finished products to different markets of Rajshahi, Chapainawabgonj, Natore, Dinajpur even in the capital Dhaka. But due to financial constraints, she couldn’t supply products according to the demands. She requires at least Taka six lakh to meet up the demands of Dhaka.

While visiting the boutique industry this reporter found many other women are working there. Munni Begum says many of the adjacent women work in her business establishment. Widow, housewives, school-college students earn Taka 1,500 to 3,000 per month. More than two hundred women are engaged in the boutique industry works in the upazila.

As the fame of her boutique works expands, the then Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh visited the institution on March 29, 2010.

Local MP Omor Faruque Chowdhury says Munni Begum’s success as a women entrepreneur contributes a lot to encourage many other rural women towards becoming self-reliance. Many other women are being inspired to set up similar establishment.

Simul Billah Sultana, Upazila Women Affairs Officer, says Munni is very uncourageous. Her indomitable commitment and sincerity to the work took to this successful position.